The story of the Medusa
by LabosFF
Summary: AU without Derek, since Amelia is the better Shepherd anyway. Trying to expand on the "Medusa" storyline from season 9 through Jo's point of view.


**AN:** I don't ship them in the show, that would be weird. It's completely AU set somewhere in season 9 or so. I really like Amelia's and Meredith's friendship, so I decided to create a universe without Derek, to give them a chance to become something more for a while. And I kinda changed few things to make the ending hopefully not completely stupid and to somehow fit with the Shepherd story in the show.

* * *

Another day as an intern. That's hard enough. It was harder for Jo, because she was with Medusa today. No other intern would trade with her. She was always so mean, almost evil. It just seemed no matter what you did, for Dr. Grey, it was always wrong. At least it seemed that way. They have been here for a few weeks and it has been long since they gave up on finding a good or human side of Meredith Grey. Some said, she wasn't always like this, but they never told them what changed.

Jo snapped out of her thoughts, when a familiar voice said: "Are those for me?" Meredith asked while already taking the folder out of Jo's hands.

"Y-Yes, they are... ma'am" Jo responded hesitantly.

"I suppose expecting you to tell me, what's in them is pointless..."

"The patient-" Jo wanted to start the presentation, but was interrupted.

"Don't worry, I already went through them. What the hell is wrong with you?"

Jo felt like standing in front of the class, when she didn't know the answer and the teacher was humiliating her in front of the rest of the class, to set her as an example. Suddenly she realized all the people in the hospital staring at her, enjoying the sight of someone else other than them being tortured by the Medusa.

"So what do you want me to do?" Jo asked with firm voice, she was going to show everyone, how tough she is. But Medusa would not give her a chance.

"I want you to go into the pit and don't kill anyone. Maybe find a patient who's already dying, so that you can't make them worse."

* * *

Jo came right when a new trauma arrived. Everyone was busy, as this patient wasn't the first to arrive. Apparently a bus crushed somewhere or something. It didn't matter. She was taking charge on this case and she was going to show Medusa, how good doctor she really is. She was kinda disappointed, when it turned out, he needed surgery, but on the other hand, it was her case, maybe she would be able to scrub in. It would make putting up with Medusa for the whole day worth it.

"Book an OR and call doctor Grey" Jo ordered.

* * *

In the OR it was rather quiet. Only machines beeping and everyone minding their business, when Meredith suddenly broke the silence.

"I'm surprised that you caught that, Wilson." Meredith said without taking her eyes of the patient and Jo felt incredible. She was being praised by the Medusa!

"That's really a lot of luck for an intern. You'll run out eventually..." Meredith added.

It felt like there was more to come, but Meredith's phone started ringing.

"What is it?" Meredith asked.

One of the nurses picked up the phone. "It's a reminder. It says only "Amy"."

"Damn it, I forgot" Meredith stopped working as she said that.

"Is something wrong, doctor Grey?" Jo asked.

"No, everything is fine. Let's focus on this, so we can finish."

After few minutes, the phone rang again.

"Doctor Grey, they want to know, if they should wait for you" a nurse said after picking up the call.

"Yes, tell them I'll be right there."

Just as the nurse forwarded the message and hung up, blood started to squirt out of the patient and Meredith had her hands full. She haven't realized how much time has passed and the patient was still critical. It wasn't until Alex walked in, that Meredith remembered about Amy.

"They wanted me to tell you, that they can't wait anymore, you have to go now or schedule another appointment."

"I can't leave now!"

"Then call them and set up another date."

"Can you take her?"

"I'm just going to my surgery. You insisted, that you have to be there for everything. Any nurse can take her, she's a big girl..."

"Wilson, go. Room 202, the patient is scheduled for brain scans, it's all in the chart."

"But I don't know anything about this patient, what if- "

"You can read, can't you?"

"I-I can? I mean, I can!"

"Good, then read the chart, if in doubt. But I just need you, to take the patient for a ct and back to their room."

Jo left and Alex waited until she was gone.

"I heard about this morning, I mean it's just some scans, but you really want her to handle this?" Alex asked.

"She was the only one available, besides, if she is good enough for you, I guess, I can give her a chance."

Alex smiled and left the room.

* * *

"Hi, I'm doctor Wilson. Doctor Grey send me to take you to your scans." Jo said as she entered the patients room.

"What did you do?"

"Excuse me?" Jo asked confused.

"They kicked you out of surgery to drive me around the hospital, so I'm guessing you must have pissed off somebody."

"It's doctor Grey, I seem to have a way of making her angry..." Jo responded.

She felt so comfortable when she saw the smile of the woman's face. She was used to cold and hostile atmosphere around Medusa, but in here, she felt warm and friendly.

"A lot of people seem to have that effect on doctor Grey lately. Don't worry about it. I'm Amelia by the way."

"Amelia Shepherd" Jo said looking at the chart "wait, like doctor Amelia Shepherd? The neurosurgeon?"

"That would be me, although I'm not a really surgeon anymore. Can we go to the ct? My appointment was like and hour ago."

"Of course." Jo remembered why has she come here in the first place.

"So what happend, if I can ask?" Jo was curious, why was a world-class neurosurgeon her patient and why didn't anyone know, that she was here.

"Just wait for the scans, Wilson, you'll see something really cool." Amelia smiled at her.

"Do you have a brain tumour or something?" Jo kept asking.

"So you're the smart intern. That must be why Mer has you on her service." Amelia said jokingly.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry!" Jo was genuenly surprised.

"Don't worry, it isn't just a normal tumour." Amelia said as if to confort slightly shocked Jo.

"What kind of tumour is it then?" Jo aked.

"A really cool one" Amelia responded as they reached their destination.

* * *

After the scans were done, Jo took Amelia back to her room. They have been talking for about an hour or maybe more. Jo felt so relaxed around Amelia, it was something completely different compared to doctor Grey, who actually was the topic of their conversation for the most part. Jo just needed to talk out of her frustration with Meredith. And Amelia wasn't shy to give her some tips. Even tiny details like what kind of coffee does Meredith like, could make her next time with Medusa a little more bearable.

"I just wish, that she would acknowledge the work we're doing or at least remembered what it was like when she was just an intern..." Jo kept complaining.

"She acknowleges you in her own way. Otherwise, she wouldn't have you on her service so often. Judging by the time we spend together, I think you are great and I bet you, that Meredith thinks that also. She must see something in you." Amelia said

"You think so?" Jo asked.

"Of course I do." Amelia's words made Jo smile.

This time she spend with doctor Shepherd was the best time Jo had probably since she started working in the hospital. Amelia was kind, friendly, chatty and perky even in her condition. After day with Medusa, Jo wanted only to go for a drink a go to sleep, maybe she would cry a little, but now, she was happy and felt like she could spend night talking to this amazing person, she just met.

"It's amazing, how much you know about Medusa, I mean doctor Grey..." Jo said.

"Medusa, huh? That's quite clever considering, how stupid your class is, according to Meredith" Amelia laughed and started to cough a little bit.

Jo wanted to help, but heard Meredith call her.

"Wilson! You didn't think to let me know that how were the scans?"

"I'm sorry, I forgot- "

"Leave the scans and get out of here" Meredith pointed towards the door as she was going to Amelia who was still coughing.

* * *

Jo almost ran out of the room. Suddenly, all the joy she got from Shepherd was gone. She started crying, even though she tried to hold it. All the other interns were there with her. They didn't know what to do, even though everyone of them was brought to tears by Medusa before. As they were making their way though the halls, to find a quiet place for Jo to calm down, they ran into Alex.

"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked concernd.

"Why is she always so mean?" Jo asked.

"Who?" Alex didn't understand at first.

"Doctor Grey. We heard she wasn't always like this, so what happend to her to make her like this?" Jo seemed to get really angry.

"Come with me." Alex said and went ahead and all the interns were following him.

They stopped in front of Amelia's room. Meredith was lying next to Amelia in bed, hugging her gently rubbing her arm. She seemed incredibly sad.

"You know who that is?" Alex asked the interns.

"That's doctor Shepherd, doctor Grey send me to take her to ct today." Jo answered, but she didn't know what does she has to do with anything.

"It's also Mer's wife" Alex clarified.

"Medusa has a wife?" all the interns stared in disbelief.

"They also have a daughter named Zola" Alex continued.

"A daughter?" the interns were now even more in disbelief if it's even possible.

"She came here with the African exchange program, Shepherd fixed her spine and when they found out, that she was an orphan, they decided to keep her."

"So why is she like that, even though she has such an amazing family, great job, lots of friends and everything?" Jo asked.

"Well, they have been in a plane crash a while back. Mer's little sister died there, but Meredith and Shepherd barely made it out of there."

The interns started to chat quietly with each other. Suddenly, Medusa started to look more human.

"But when they were brought here for treatment, they found a tumour in Amelia's brain. She's dying."


End file.
